Felipe Camiroaga - Political Views

Political Views

In his later years, Camiroaga openly demonstrated his political preferences, something uncommon in Chilean television presenters.

It's hard to break the patterns in my workspace, where the TV presenters need to be direct, and neutral in some topics. It surprises me when say we are opinion leaders, but actually the opinion leaders can't say anything but sillinesses, unrelated to deeper issues which interest the country. I have not rebelled, I just think that I have to change my mind.

— Felipe Camiroaga, Qué Pasa, November 2009

Although he grew up in a right-wing family, supportive of the Pinochet military regime, Camiroaga supported the Concertación coalition of left-wing parties since Chile became a democracy; in 2008 he said he was a "Bacheletist" ("bacheletista") —supporter of President of Chile Michelle Bachelet— in the Caras magazine, and in 2009 he said Chile was admired for the governments of such a coalition. In 2010 he joined the runoff campaign of Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, the Concertación candidate for the Chilean presidential election. Frei said Camiroaga was a "very brave man" for publicly expressing his political views.

Camiroaga also participated in campaigns by Greenpeace; he openly asked Chile's Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter on Buenos Días a Todos for the government, led by Sebastián Piñera, to halt the installation of a thermoelectric plant in Caleta Punta Choros—which was later reversed— and supported the 2011 student movement in Chile.